The DFW Food Truckin’ Fest is back this fall with more “meals on wheels”! The Rangers may not have won, but their fans still can by stopping by the Ballpark for gourmet cuisine offered by your favorite local food trucks from across DFW. If you’re a food truckin’ foodie then stop by the Ballpark in Arlington this Friday and Saturday – October 25-26! It’s the FALL EDITION of the 2013 Food Truckin’ Fest in Arlington, TX. In addition to food truck action, visitors can also enjoy live music and activities for the kids! Tickets can be purchased online too!

Each year it just gets bigger and better: The Texas Veggie Fair. A fair designed for DFW vegans, vegetarians and those in support of. On Sunday, October 20th, (from 11am to 6pm) North Texans will gather once again at Reverchon Park in Dallas for this remarkable, FREE event promoting the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle! We promise the food will be just as delicious as your regular State Fair of Texas, but just within a more intimate setting than Fair Park. It only provides a sample of what’s available in the “Vegan” North Texas world though and please note that TVF is a one-day event.
After sinking out teeth into the veggie corny dog and the oh-so-amazing fried cinnamon roll (both pictured below) at last year’s Veggie State Fair of Texas it’s a MUST that we go back! Not to mention, Erykah Badu, is expected to do some DJ-ing at the event. You can catch her Saturday, Oct 19th at the Lamar Street Festival. Then check for @fatbellybella herself on Sunday at the 2013 Texas Veggie State Fair. At one event (the music festival) you’ll see the artist doing her typical song & dance, and at the other event the well endowed Dallas Diva can be caught using her alter ego to DJ in the park!

Typically you have two choices: You can either “call Tyrone” or call Lamar. This Saturday you should be able to catch both in their own individual, rare forms when Erykah Badu headlines the Lamar Street Festival. Located right outside of downtown Dallas, the Lamar Street Festival is a one-day music festival featuring an eclectic array of Texas bands around restaurants like Bill’s Records, Poor David’s Pub, Full Circle Tavern and The Cedar Social. There will be a total of four indoor stages in addition to the main outdoor stage at the 2013 Lamar Street Festival. Admission is only $5 for adults but bring your cash as there will be no ATMs on site. Kids 12 and under get in free!Tickets are available an hour before the festival commences.

Get a close look into D-town’s live music scene all day long with art on display, a short film competition and other outdoor festivities. Not to mention PETS ARE ALLOWED! Cyclers are more than welcome to the 2013 Lamar Street Festival and bike valet can be found at the Bellview Street Festival Entrance between 11am and 11pm. The area is safe and secure.

Multiple stages (indoor and out), live DJ’s, local bands, good food, works of art, featured films and hours of music = a successful DFW community event. The easiest way to find the Lamar Street Festival of Dallas is to follow the large red “SOUTHSIDE” letters to the east of downtown. See you on Lamar!

One regular admission ticket for an adult to the State Fair this year is $17. Children and seniors get in for $13. Unless you’re under the age of 3 (which means you wouldn’t be reading this) you can’t get in for FREE. A season pass will cost about $40, and one sheet of 20 coupons is $10. Another way to save a little change is to buy your fair ticket ahead of time online. Then it’ll be $14.95, as opposed to $17.

You’re best bet for getting the biggest discounts on admission to the Texas State Fair is to go between Tuesday and Friday.

Here are ways to save money on admission to the 2013 State Fair of Texas!!

TUESDAYS DEALS

Bring an empty Dr. Pepper can for $5 admission on Tuesdays, or $8 admission any day after 5 pm.

Go see BIG TEX and head straight to the Midway on a Tuesday so you can hop on even more amusement rides because all rides (except for thrill rides and the Texas Star) are ONLY SIX COUPONS each – a savings of anywhere between two to six coupons (or $1-$3) per ride.

WEDNESDAY’S DEAL

Thanks to the North Texas Food Bank and Kroger, if you bring 3 canned goods (per person), you’ll receive $3.00 admission on Wednesdays. Help fight hunger in North Texas!

THURSDAY’S DEALS

On Coca-Cola Thursday, bring an empty 20-ounce bottle and get $6 admission in exchange.

Every Thursday is also Senior Day, meaning fairgoers over the age of 60 get in absolutely FREE! On any other day seniors can still get $4.00 off admission.

Also, save your ticket stub from Cinemark Theatres, bring it to the fair on a Thursday, and receive FREE admission!!

Verizon’s “How Sweet the Sound” is back and in search of the 2013 Best Gospel Choir in America. In its 6th year the Dallas regional will feature a gospel grudge match! That’s right, it’s a rematch of epic proportions as some of the greatest choirs from across the Southwest take the stage at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. How Sweet the Sound Dallas is not only a celebration of gospel choirs, it’s a celebration of the directors whose musical arrangements and animated directives are a show within themselves.

HSTS Dallas will be held 9/28 at the Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie

How Sweet the Sound is your opportunity to see and hear some of the nation’s greatest choirs. The audience will be replete gospel connoisseurs, church family and even some gospel artists. The judging panel for this year’s event will include local gospel chart topper, Tamela Mann; rising star Vashawn Mitchell and unrivaled choir master Bishop Hezekiah Walker. The event’s hosts return in the personage of gospel legends Yolanda Adams and famed choir director Donald Lawrence who is also celebrating a milestone with his latest release.

Hosts: Yolanda Adams & Donald Lawrence

Surely there are no grudges in Christ, but as with all competitions there are winners and losers. And with a returning cast from last year’s competition, you can expect the timbre of their joyful noise to reach fever ‘pitch’. Come lift your voice as the diaconate of doxology duke it out!

Last year’s judges in worship mod

Last year’s competition was so tight that the tension to decide a winner was palpable even backstage. The St. Mark Sanctuary Choir was crowned champion and closed out the HSTS 2012 season as National Runner-Up. This awesome choir will return to defend their regional crown. Last year’s “People’s Choice”, the St. John Church Music Ministry will also return to try and capture their prized place on the winners’ platform. The St. John Church Music Ministry won the Dallas regional in 2011, held at the American Airlines Center.

Marquinn Middleton and the Miracle Chorale returns this year to try and win the elusive top prize. Middleton and his phenomenal group got the crowd on its feet with their innovative harmonies and the stunning arrangement of the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. Even without taking home a single prize, Middleton and the Miracle Chorale earned the prize of crowd favorite and most anticipated performance at HSTS Dallas.

Rounding out the list of metroplex praise pugilists and worshipping warriors, the United Voices from God’s Tabernacle of Deliverance return with expectancy. Each performance is critiqued and The United Voices have taken notes and return prepared to build upon their impressive performance at the 2012 Dallas regional.

Throwing their hats in the ring with these choir contenders are the 2009 Houston regional “People’s Choice” and Verizon Hopeline award winner, the Royalwood Sanctuary Choir as well as Montrae Tisdale-Johnson and the Friends Chorale from Oklahoma.

Get ready for a night of praise and worship you won’t soon forget. Since last year each of the choirs have grown impressively. Most notably, The St. John Church Music Ministry was featured on Bishop Richard “Mr. Clean” White’s release: “I’m Glad”. Marquinn Middleton and The Miracle Chorale have been featured across the country now have an increasing presence locally. Of course the St. Mark Sanctuary Choir finished the season as runner up and has reaped the benefits of such a lofty achievement.

There’s so much to see and hear at this year’s “How Sweet the Sound” Dallas Regional, you still have time to get tickets to one of the hottest gospel events to hit the metroplex. For ticket info, click here . Tickets are going fast so get yours today! We will see you there!

The National winner is awarded a recording contract. Click here to sample and buy Dexter Walker and Zion Movement’s new release on the eOne music label.

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Gospel Music writer for the Examiner, Win Willis, is a musician and sound engineer from Fort Worth, Texas. Win Willis is a lover of all styles of music and loves to share and discuss music with other avid music lovers.

The Chinese Lantern Festival: Light A New Dream is back in Dallas!! Here’s a sneak peek at some of what’s going on behind those walls at Fair Park! The State Fair of Texas opens on September 27th and you can enjoy the Chinese Lantern Festival located within Fair Park’s fairgrounds as a special paid attraction all throughout fair season and beyond!

Tickets to the Chinese Lantern Festival are
$14 for Adults and $9 for kids (ages 4-12).

The 2011 NBA Champs are back! They’ve been training, gearing up for the 2013-14 season, and now it’s time for you to join them in ringing in the new year! On Friday, October 4th, come to the American Airlines Center in Dallas for Mavstoberfest – one of the few “Octoberfests” actually in October. There’s plenty for a MFFL (Mavs Fan For Life) to do at 2013 Mavstoberfest! Select your seats, attend an autograph session, enjoy games on the court and watch a live scrimmage!

Admission is FREE and Parking is FREE!

Mavstoberfest is presented by ESPN Dallas 103.3 and ESPN DePortes!

The first half of the day is devoted to Select-A-Seat event which begins at 9:00am.

Select your seats for the 2013-14 season

Mavstoberfest 2013 Schedule

9:00AM – Doors Open for Select-A-Seat. Choose your seats for the 2013-14 season!*
Plans available on all levels. Full, Half and Mini plans available.4:00PM – Doors Open – Special appearance by the one and only FLULA! DJ Whiz will help him out with Mavs Music!4:30PM – Doors Open for Platinum Level for Autograph Pass Winners! Must have a pass for entry! Listen to ESPN Dallas 103.3 to win!5:00PM – Autograph Session Begins on Platinum Level6:00PM – Autograph Session Ends6:00PM – Chris Arnold Welcomes Crowd With Flula. Arrive early our Dr Pepper Hoop Troop will be looking for True MFFL’s to play some fun games on court!6:15PM – Your Mav’s hit the court!6:30PM – Scrimmage Begins

Are you more excited about Big Tex’s successful cosmetic surgery or the food that will be served below him? If you fall into the second group and will be in downtown Dallas this Friday, get an early sampling of the fair food at the Taste of the Fair starting at 11am. September 27th is opening day for the State Fair of Texas, but for your pre-game fair hopping this fall, stop by Pegasus Plaza downtown for nachos, corn dogs, funnel cake, live music and more! If you work downtown, it’ll make for a great lunch break….smoke break…. 3:00pm break….and afternoon walk.. break? Besides it’s Friday.